Cannabis May Treat Primary Symptom of Parkinson’s Disease, According to New Study

Cannabis May Treat Primary Symptom of Parkinson’s Disease, According to New Study

A new study being published in the October issue of the journal Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry has found that cannabinoids – compounds found in cannabis – can help to improve muscle rigidity (a “freezing” of the muscles), one of the primary symptoms of Parkinson’s disease, and may slow the progression of the disease.

For the study researchers at the University of San Paulo dosed various rat models with cannabinoids, and found that it improved muscle rigidity, especially in those with depleted dopamine levels (a depletion of dopamine is a “hallmark of Parkinson disease”, according to the National Institute of Health); researchers also found that cannabinoids may be able to slow the progression of Parkinson’s, stating that they “could also provide neuroprotection against the progressive degeneration of nigrostriatal dopaminergic neurons.”

The study can be found by clicking here.

– TheJointBlog